Indonesia: Land of Contrasts

Indonesian President

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono signed a two-year moratorium on logging in primary forests -- those that have never been cut before or have largely recovered from long ago logging. There also will be a prohibition on cutting trees in peat forests. But one of the problems is a lack of consistent maps showing how the forest is already being used. "All the institutions have their own data and own information," Rudy Lumuru recently told a group of visiting American reporters. Lumuru is with the NGO Palm Oil Community Circle, which seeks to mediate between local communities and palm oil companies. Various entities -- like central and local governments, corporations and NGOs -- all have their own maps that conflict with one another. Each map depicts different uses of the land.